Reminiscing about Boston
Josh and Lauren to go to Boston for her 40th, and Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams Taproom
Boston, MA
Since we were unable to visit a brewery this last weekend, Josh and I decided to reminisce about our trip to Boston last year and our visit to the Sam Adams Taproom. For my 40th birthday we met up with friends in Boston for a huge birthday celebration. While we did all the touristy Boston and Salem things (history, witches, fall foliage, etc), something always brought us back to the Sam Adams Taproom in downtown Boston, Massachusetts.
Want to go check out the market? Let’s meet up later at the taproom!
Heading to check out the freedom trail? Let’s meet up later in the taproom!
Want a drink before dinner? Let’s meet up before in the taproom!
The taproom is in the heart of downtown and is truly a great central place to meet up with friends. They have 20 (+) beers on tap at all times, and you can choose to do a flight or a full pour at any time of day. You are also able to order food which is more of your typical “bar food” of appetizers, pizzas, and desserts to go along with your pours. There are a TON of huge picnic tables, so you go in, find a seat, and meet your new best friends over a few pints creating a great sense of community.
Our Takeaways:
Variety and Taste of Beers: Obviously some of the best beers you will ever try, as they have been at it for so long!
Food: We chose not to eat while we were there, but their pretzels looked amazing!
Kid/Pet Friendly: The taproom does not allow pets (but I believe their actual brewery does), and kids are welcome until 7:30 PM.
Overall Ambiance: Loud, fun, and full of life!
If you are ever in the downtown Boston area, check out the taproom for a pint or two! OR take an uber (or train) just outside of the downtown area and visit their brewery for tours, teachings, and more! (We hope to go back one day and actually check out the brewery!) Also, check out our podcast this week for a Sam Adams Beer Fest Variety Pack tasting! Until next time…
Cheers!
The Markhams
Community Beer Company
Josh and Lauren visit Community Beer Company in Dallas, TX
Community Beer Company
Dallas, TX
We finally made our way out to Community Beer Company in Dallas, Texas and it did not disappoint! Josh is a HUGE Community Mosaic IPA fan and always orders it if it is available on tap at restaurants and purchases from the store on the regular, so the fact that we had never actually been to the brewery was a bit shocking.
The brewery has a great amount of space outside and in, and it is family- and pet-friendly! (We visited on their Oktoberfest celebration and met quite a few cute and costumed furry friends!) There is an area with yard games outside and a stage for live music, too. The inside has plenty of TVs for you to enjoy your beverage and view your favorite team play, as well.
Our friends met us, and we sat outside on a large picnic table. To stick to the theme of the day, we all ordered their festbier which was not as heavy as a lot of German-style beers and so delicious we ordered another! We all ordered a wide-variety of foods, and I highly recommend their hummus appetizer plate and tacos for your entree (you can choose 3 different types of taco, and I ordered the vegetarian, of course!). Everyone was pleased with their food and beer choices for the evening.
Our Takeaways:
Variety and Taste of Beers: Truly a wonderful variety of beer, and they even offer non-alcoholic options.
Food: So delicious! Really great kitchen!
Kid/Pet Friendly: Very much so! Bring the kids and fur kids and enjoy their wonderful outside space.
Overall Ambiance: Colorful inside, beautiful outside
We will definitely be back to Community Beer Company soon! Just like their name implies, there was a delightful sense of community about the whole brewery! Like Josh says, and I paraphrase, “It isn’t the beer that matters, it’s who you are drinking with!” Until next time…
Cheers!
The Markhams
Keyworth
Always find a local brewery and support it!
Keyworth Brewing Company
North Richland Hills, TX
We visited Keyworth Brewing Company in North Richland Hills, Texas and really enjoyed ourselves! The brewery opened up in September of 2023 and has stolen our hearts…and it doesn’t hurt that it is only half a mile away from our house! Keyworth is family owned and family run, and occasionally you will even see the owners’ kids helping out in the tasting room. They have 12 beers on tap at all times but are constantly rotating them out with all sorts of bodies and flavors.
The brewery has plenty of space inside and out, and kids and pets are always welcome. A deck of cards is on every table, and they also have a kid area with building blocks and kid-sized lounge chairs as well as a plethora of games for the whole family. Their beer garden, located underneath the brewery, has yard games, picnic tables, and even swings! The fact that it is always shaded is a mega plus, too, as Texas gets super hot in the summer!
We sat inside for this visit, and Josh and I went with a build-your-own flight, which includes four pours. I had the Gallowglass Elite (an Irish-style red ale), Hootenfest (a German-style lager), Animals That Seldom Smile (cream ale), and Harmonious Proportions Tropical (which is a blonde ale brewed with honey, passionfruit, orange, and guava flavors). Josh’s taster included the Gallowglass Elite, Overhead and Underfoot (West Coast IPA), Peach Bomb! (American Wheat with peach flavors), and the Nox Noctua (which is a Saison aged with butterfly pea flower.
While they do not have a kitchen at this brewery, you are able to order food from a neighboring Bar-B-Q joint and it will be delivered directly to your table. They do have bags of chips, sodas, water, and wine for purchase, as well.
Our Takeaways:
Variety and Taste of Beers: A wonderful variety, for sure. There is always something for everyone’s specific tastes!
Food: You can order from Back Forty Smokehouse and enjoy a variety of BBQ-styled dining. (You can also doordash in anything else you may desire)
Kid/Pet Friendly: Yes, yes, yes!!! Plenty of space and fun for the whole family.
Overall Ambiance: Simple and clean industrial vibe going on.
When you get a chance, be sure to visit Keyworth Brewing Company in North Richland Hills! It will surely put a smile on your face!
Cheers!
The Markhams
An idea was formed
It all begins with an idea.
Greetings from Texas, y’all!
We are Lauren and Josh, and we love beer! More specifically, we love craft beers.
We met at a party (drinking beers) in 2009 and then spent a lot of our free time in our dating and newlywed years tasting (and talking over) beers. We had a beer-themed groom’s cake at our wedding, a beer-themed baby shower, celebrated a 40th birthday with a beer-theme, will go out of our way on vacations to try out a local brewery, and even based an entire vacation around Sam Adams Octoberfest beer. We love beer!
One day we had a Saturday afternoon free of plans, kids’ sports or birthday parties, or any other distractions (for those of you with kids I know you’re shocked), and we decided to take our kids to our most local brewery. We love this particular place (more on that later) because they offer a variety of delicious beers, have games for adults and kids, and even have an entire section for children to play…and an idea was formed!
What if we were able to help other families find local breweries where they can:
responsibly enjoy a variety of beers
watch their children play
maybe have a few bites
and
not have to worry about booking a sitter
It’s a win, win, win, win in our book!
So here we are, embarking on a journey to help other DFW beer-loving families find the best local breweries where they can delight in a few tasters, allow their children (and/or dogs) to tag along, and have a grand ol’ time! We hope you will join us and look forward to seeing you at the breweries!
Cheers!
The Markhams
Three Wide Brewing
Three Wide Brewing Co.
Located in North Fort Worth near Texas Motor Speedway
Three Wide Brewing Co.
Fort Worth, TX
We took a field trip to Three Wide Brewing Company (located near the Texas Motor Speedway) on a Sunday afternoon to taste a few beers with friends (kids included). The brewery opened in March of this year and holds the 2024 US Open Beer Championship Award for their English Pale Ale, Harlequin Dancer. We were really excited to try out this new brewery which boasts 20 beers on tap.
Upon entering the building, we loved the artwork on the outside (complete with a patio for pets to enjoy), and we both loved how many televisions were on inside of the building (for all the sports you could possibly watch). They were super accommodating for us to have 2 picnic tables (one for adults and one for kids), too, which is always a plus in our book. They did have a few games you could play while you tasted beers, but we brought a lot of activities for the kids to play while we were there.
Josh and I both ordered a flight of beers, which included 6 tasters. The beers that really stood out to me were their ‘If I Could Fly’, which is a Black Cherry Berliner, and the ‘Barbarian Bavarian Hefeweizen’. Josh preferred the ‘Flower Power’, which is a Hoppy Lager and the ‘Outer Groove Hazy IPA’. However, don’t sleep on their ‘Green Tea Wheat’ or their ‘Malibu Groove’, which both had surprising tastes, and we found them delicious!
Their food menu is mostly bar foods, but be sure to order a pizza because it was truly mouthwatering.
The Takeaways:
Variety and Taste of Beers: Definitely a wide variety for every taster’s specific palate, and with that variety you
are certain to find one that you love! (And 6 beers in a flight? Yes, please!)
Food: Go with the pizza, for sure
Kid/Pet Friendly: Yes to both, but you may need entertainment for your kids
Overall Ambiance: Really wonderful with a variety of seating options to fit your needs (even a private room to host parties)!
Whether it is race weekend or not, check out Three Wide Brewing Company for the pizza and the wide-variety of beers!
Cheers!
The Markhams
Saint Arnold
Saint Arnold Beer Garden and Restraunt
Located just outside of Downtown Houston.
Saint Arnold Brewery
Houston, TX
While Saint Arnold’s Brewery is not local to DFW, it is one that Josh and I have always wanted to visit, especially as Native Texans. I have always been quick to pick up a 6-pack of the Fancy Lawnmower or Art Car IPAs, and it is almost always my go-to beer to order when we go out, if available. So while we were passing through Houston this summer, we finally were able to stop in (with all three kids in tow), and the brewery did not disappoint.
After being in the car for 4 hours, we opted to sit outside with the kids, and did so on a picnic bench right by their fountain. We figured we could walk around this way, and not bother other patrons. They have a large outdoor area, which is pet- and kid-friendly, including a museum (of sorts) of decorated cars on display. We walked around the entire parameter and thought it was a fun distraction for kids!
Josh and I both opted to go with the “Best Sellers” Flight, which includes their Grand Prize, Lawnmower, Art Car IPA, Amber Ale, and Seasonal (the Summer Pils). We truly did not have one bad taster and stuck around for a beer after lunch. I ordered the Lawnmower and Josh the Art Car IPA.
Speaking of lunch, their food menu was absolutely exquisite! I ordered the Cucumber and Hummus Sandwich which was so fresh and delicious. Josh had the Classic Caesar Salad with chicken, which was wonderful, as well. We highly recommend the Chips & Lawnmower Queso, too. (Josh thinks it is the best queso he has ever had!)
Our Takeaways:
Variety and Taste of Beers: Truly great! We did not taste one beer that we didn’t enjoy!
Food: Delicious and great variety
Kid/Pet Friendly: Yes (but you may want to bring activities for your kids)
Overall Ambiance: Great! (We thought the beer garden was beautiful and loved the display of cars, as well!)
Next time you are in the Houston area, stop by the brewery for great beers and great food!
Cheers!
The Markhams
